Upper Dearne Woodlands Conservation Group

Location

The woodlands are located between Birdsedge and Upper Cumberworth. The name "Upper Dearne Woodlands" was coined to describe a collection of four linked but individually named woods. Pedestrian access can be gained from Upper Cumberworth, either from Barnsley Road or from Park Lane, and also from Birdsedge, either via Park Lane or the track past Birdsedge Farm.

Click here for larger version of map

Management Priorities

The Group operates a Management Plan for the woods, which is updated annually. The Management Priorities defined in the plan are, in order of priority:

• Habitat Conservation
• Access Management
• Education and Information

The principal objective is to manage the woodlands so that they will continue to provide beneficial habitats for wildlife and a place for quiet recreation for generations to come.

formica rufa

formica lugubris

Wood Ants

The woodlands are home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Of all these, the species of greatest significance is the wood ant (scientific name formica lugubris). This is a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan maintained by English Nature, because it is in decline, not only in Britain but across Europe.
Identification of these ants has been a source of some confusion. In 1997 they were identified as the Red Wood Ant (formica rufa), which would have been even more unusual, since the woods are beyond the expected northern boundary for this species. However, the recent research project (see below) has confirmed the lugubris identification. To the naked eye the two species are indistinguishable, apparently lugubris has a number of small ‘hairs’ on its head!

A survey in 2002 discovered over 150 nest mounds. Most of these are in Burn Wood, together with about 25 in Lower Stephen Wood (between Greenwood Lane and the pond). The nest mounds, built of pine needles, grass and shredded leaves, are dome shaped and anything from a few inches to over three feet in diameter. The ants feed on other insects, honeydew (taken from greenfly in the trees) and seeds.

Although the ants are in decline elsewhere, they seem to flourish here. A principal concern of the Group is to ensure that, in our efforts to manage the woodlands, we do nothing which has a detrimental effect on the future of the ants. To help us accomplish this, a research project was commissioned to investigate which trees are of importance to the ants. This project was completed in 2004 - and the findings of the project are available to view here.

Click here for the background of the research project and a picture of an ants nest!

Click here for a brief summary of the findings

Click here for the full report - note this is in pdf format and is 1.2MB in size

The Victorian Pond

An obvious feature of the woods is the pond at the confluence of the River Dearne and Park Dike, in the lowest corner of the woods. This was originally created as an ornamental feature in the late 19th century, by the then owner of the woods, mill owner Walter Norton. By the late 20th century the pond was completely silted up and covered in a dense tangle of rhododendrons and laurel bushes.

In 1999 the Group restored the pond with the aid of many volunteers, excavating over 8000 barrow loads of silt in the process. Wildlife is gradually returning to the pond with a variety of plants, insects, small fish and birds.